Apparatus for accurately heating and cooling articles

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for effecting precise thermal cycling of articles by alternately employing electrical heating elements and circulating cooling water in conjunction with a controller to accurately regulate the temperature of a working surface. The apparatus includes a thermal tray in which articles are mounted in recesses formed in the working surface region thereof. The thermal tray is removable from the base of the apparatus which houses the heating elements and cooling water. Thus, thermal trays are interchangeable atop the base as desired. Also disclosed is a weight assembly for maintaining the articles in the recesses. This allows the thermal tray of the present invention to be transported to each of a plurality of processing stations, including the aforementioned thermal processing atop the base, while still maintaining precise positioning of the articles throughout each of the processes.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for heating and cooling articles, comprising: an integral base defining a plurality of internal cooling fluid passageways and having a plurality of heating elements disposed therein;   a thermal plate having a working surface region with means for receiving said articles and being freely supportable on said base to allow manual movement of said thermal plate without the aid of tools between a first position in which the thermal plate is in operative thermal contact with said base and a second position in which the thermal plate is at a location remote from said base, to allow loading of said articles onto said thermal plate at a location remote from said base;   temperature sensing means disposed in said apparatus for generating electrical signals indicating the temperature of said articles; and   control means for controlling the power to the heating elements and the rate of cooling fluid through said passageways responsive to said electrical signals to effect a predetermined temperature cycle of said working surface region of said thermal plate with the temperature being substantially uniform over the entire working surface region of the thermal plate.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said temperature sensing means includes at least one temperature sensing device disposed to respond to the temperature of said thermal plate of said apparatus. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said temperature sensing means includes at least one temperature sensing device disposed to respond to the temperature of said base of said apparatus. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said temperature sensing means includes at least one temperature sensing device disposed in said thermal plate and said base. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cooling fluid passageways are disposed between said heating elements and said thermal plate. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said base includes alignment means for aligning said thermal plate with respect to Said base to assure proper thermal contact therebetween. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said working surface region includes one or more article engaging means for engaging said articles in a stationary position in thermal contact with said working surface region during heating and cooling of said thermal plate. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein said article engaging means includes recesses in said thermal plate working surface region. 
     
     
       9. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said thermal plate is formed of one or more materials having thermal conductivity and diffusivity at least as great as that of copper to effect substantially uniform temperature distribution thereacross. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said thermal plate includes a weight assembly for biasing said articles against said working surface region of the tray. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus for heating and cooling articles in a batch operation, comprising: a base;   a first thermal plate disposable in thermal contact with said base and having a working surface region with means for receiving said articles;   a second thermal plate disposable in thermal contact with said base and having a working surface region with means for receiving said articles;   heating and cooling means disposed within said base for effecting a predetermined temperature cycle of said working surface region of one of said first and second thermal plates disposed in thermal contact with said base; and   both said first and second thermal plates having means for manual engagement and removal from said base without the use of tools, a first plurality of said articles being mountable onto said first thermal plate at a remote location out of thermal contact with said base while said second thermal plate with a second plurality of articles mounted thereon is engaged with said base and undergoing said predetermined temperature cycle, and said first thermal plate being subsequently manually removable from said base following said predetermined temperature profile and said second thermal plate with said second plurality of articles mounted thereon being manually engageable with said base for thermal cycling of said second plurality of said articles.